Probiotics. The word makes most people think of yogurt, but there’s much more to probiotics than just yogurt. Probiotics are live microorganisms that offer a wide range of health benefits when consumed in proper amounts.

Research suggests that live-active cultures of these friendly bacteria can help to prevent and treat a wide variety of ailments. Probiotics can help with digestive health, urinary health, allergies, women’s health, immunity and even obesity.

Most often we hear about the digestive health benefits of probiotics. The more “good” bacteria we have in our digestive tract, the less chance we have of “bad” bacteria taking up residence in our bodies. The same is true in other areas of the body such as the urinary tract. There are even benefits specific to women. If bacterial balance is off, bacterial vaginosis and yeast infections can occur.

By eating foods rich in probiotics, you can help your body to maintain good intestinal flora which helps to maintain a healthy immune system. New research shows that maintaining this delicate balance is even beneficial to allergy and eczema sufferers.

So how do we maintain this balance? Yogurt isn’t the only option, which will ease the minds of vegans and yogurt haters. Dairy-free options including pickles, miso, kombucha and sauerkraut and all contain probiotics in their unpasteurized form. Unfortunately, most commercial products are usually pasteurized, and pasteurization kills those beneficial bacteria, so you may have to start making your own to obtain the maximum benefits.

If you start now, you’ll have plenty of homemade, probiotic rich sauerkraut for hot dogs or tofu dogs and pickles for hamburgers or black beans burgers this summer. With any luck, your summer will be full of nothing but good bacteria!